BANDITS (2001)

MORGAN'S RATING

The suave, irresistible Joe and his hypochondriac partner Terry have escaped from prison. Cuttign a swath from Oregon through California, these fugitives rob banks in order to finance their scheme for a new -- and somewhat legitimate -- life south of the Border. In their wake, they leave of trail of chaos, disguises, wrecked automobiles -- and an adoring public. Their operation is running smoothly until an unexpected run-in with Kate, who is drawn to the thieves as a way to escape her ordinary life. Together Joe and Terry are the most successful bank robbers in U.S. history, and, to Kate, they also make the perfect man.

Bruce Willis (Joe Blake), Billy Bob Thornton (Terry Collins), Cate Blanchett (Kate Wheeler), Troy Garity (Harvey Pollard), Brian F. O'Byrne (Darill Miller), Stacey Travis (Cloe Miller), Bobby Slayton (Darren Head), January Jones (Claire), Azura Skye (Cheri), Peggy Miley (Mildred Kronenberg), William Converse-Roberts (Charles Wheeler), Richard Riehle (Lawrence Fife), Micole Mercurio (Sarah Fife), Scott Burkholder (Wildwood Policeman), Anthony Burch (Phil), Sam Levinson (Billy Saunders), Scout LaRue Willis (Monica Miller), Tallulah Belle Willis (Erika Miller), John Evans (Ralph), Norman Fessler (Alamo Bank Hostage), Amy Maxwell (Young Teller, uncredited).

TWO'S A COMPANY, THREE'S A CRIME.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Barry Levinson (The Captain and the Shark). WRITER: Harley Peyton. PRODUCERS: Ashok Amiritraj, Michael Berk, Michael Burnbaum, David Hoberman, Barry Levinson, Arnold Rifkin and Paula Weinstein. ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Stephen J. Eads and Lenny Vullo. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Patrick McCormick, Harley Peyton and David Willis. ORIGINAL MUSIC: Christopher Young. DISTRIBUTOR: MGM/UA

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"Bandits may be somewhat offbeat, but that hardly makes it worthwhile." -- James Berardinelli, Reelviews

"Bandits is inescapably lite, lite, lite, unfolding on the level of a factory product, not a human experience." -- Jay Carr, Boston Globe

"It takes awhile before Bandits steals your heart, but once it gets rolling you'll fall in love with this off-beat comedic gem." -- Paul Clinton, CNN

"So determined to be clever and whimsical that it neglects to be anything else." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

FACTS

RELEASE DATE: October 12th, 2001 (USA) DVD RELEASE DATE: April 2nd, 2002 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $13.0 million (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $41.5 million (USA) BUDGET: $80 million (USA) SHOOTING DATES: October 2000 -- February 2001 - The film was originally meant to be an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel 'Bandits', to which Willis owns the film rights, but the producers felt it was too weak and brought in writer Harley Peyton to write a new script from scratch. - Terry tells Kate antique furniture scares him and he can't stand to be around it. In Sling Blade (another Billy Bob Thornton movie), Doyle says the same thing. - When Terry wakes up saying "Beavers and Ducks", it's a reference to two arch-rival Oregon college football teams, the Oregon State University Beavers and the University of Oregon Ducks. - The exterior of Reporter Darren Head's house (which is shown after Joe and Terry leave his house) is the same used in Vertigo (1958) as the exterior of Scottie Ferguson's house.

"Stretched to a running time well beyond its capacity to entertain, Bandits gets lost amid subplots and narrative gimmicks that add the film's length but not its substance." -- Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

"Almost every scene has something to chuckle over." -- Desson Howe, Washington Post

"Bandits isn't any better than a good formula picture -- it isn't incisive or memorable, just light and amusing -- but it's different." -- Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

"What started as cute becomes cloying and bloated." -- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

"A comedy that might have made Butch and Sundance jump off a cliff." -- Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

"Plenty of great one-liners." -- Lou Lumenick, New York Post

"Lock these deperadoes up and throw away the key." -- Kevin Maynard, Mr. Showbiz